Christchurch city remains shut down this morning as authorities seek to make the city safe after Saturday's massive earthquake. All schools are closed today, workers in the central city are being told not to go to work and city buses are cancelled.
The Christchurch City Council is investigating ways to prevent buses from going through Avonside and other earthquake damaged suburbs.
The Christchurch City Council says it needs Government money to help repair its earthquake damaged heritage and character buildings.
The Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, says there are thousands of unemployed people in Christchurch who could help rebuild the city.
Saturday Morning's commentator on children's books talks about being in her old home city of Christchurch last Saturday during the earthquake.
The Christchurch City Council has shipped in an extra 200 hundred portable toilets to help those suburbs worst hit by the earthquake.
The mayor of Christchurch is urging owners of heritage buildings damaged in the earthquake, not to tear down the city's treasures without first considering if they can be saved.
Thousands of people are being evacuated from the Christchurch city centre with Civil Defence officials saying its simply too dangerous for residents to stay there.
Some Christchurch building owners say a bulldozer's the best option, despite the city council calling for government help to rebuild heritage buildings damaged by the earthquake.
Plans for the reconstruction of earthquake damaged parts of Christchurch are slowly taking shape as priority is given to restoring fundamental services to residential areas of the city.
The Property Council says an ultimatum from the Christchurch City Council to owners of earthquake damaged commercial buildings will add to the stress business people are already under.
Business owners have told the Christchurch City Council they are haemorrhaging thousands of dollars a week, while it decides whether or not to demolish their buildings following last month's earthquake.
The Christchurch City Council has voted to fast track the demolition of two heritage buildings that it says were severely damaged in September's earthquake and pose an immediate danger to people's safety.
Some owners of commercial buildings badly damaged in the Canterbury earthquake, have been told if they don't repair or demolish them by January the 31st, the Christchurch City Council will do it for them.
We assess how last the earthquake has affected three major arts festivals and Christchurch's historic Repertory Theatre, and the part the arts have to play in helping the city to get back on its feet.